Minnesota Archbishop Investigated for Inappropriate Touching

iStock/Thinkstock(MINNEAPOLIS) — The archbishop of one of the largest Catholic communities in the country is under investigation for inappropriate touching.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis said Archbishop John Nienstedt has been accused of inappropriately touching a boy’s buttocks after a 2009 confirmation ceremony.

The archbishop denies the allegation, but will step down from the ministry while police investigate. In a letter to the faithful, Niendstedt said he does not know who the accuser is but, he wrote, “I have never once engaged in any inappropriate contact with a minor.”

This past Sunday, Niendstedt apologized in his homily after it was alleged past priest sexual abuse was ignored.